Packing.



110,790,349 PATBNTED :UNE 9, 1903.

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PACKING.

APPHOA'HOEHLHB Lus. 21, 199s.` y

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UNITED STATES Patented J une 9, 1903.*

'PATENT' OFFICE.

AUSTIN R. DODGE, OE S-CHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PACKING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. '730,349,`dated June 9, 1903.

Application iled August 2l. 1902. Serial No. 120,485. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern: l

Be it known that I, AUSTIN R'DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schelle@A tady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Great difficulty has heretofore been experienced in making packings which are suitable for maintaining tight joints between moving` and stationary parts where elastic fluid is employed. This .is particularly true of so-callet vacuum-joints. Hemp is commonly employed for such purposes; but this is unsatisfactory, for it degenerates with usethat is to say, the tallow or other compound with which it is mixed melts out and it loses weight. Vhen the hemp is packed tight enough to temporarily maintain a working joint, it creates an excessive'amount of friction and is burned to a greater or less extent. It also has to be lubricated, and this is obj ectionable where it is used for maintaining a vacuum in a vacuum-chamber, because the lubricant will work lalong the moving shaft and enter the chamber and there mingle with the steam. In order to make use of the water due to condensation of the steam, it is necessary to prevent the lubricant from being entrained therewith. lVhen the packing is relatively loose, air will enter the vacuum-chamber and impair the vacuum. l/Vhen steam passes through the joint, the efficiency of the apparatus is reduced. Efforts have also been made to use metallic packings, but without any permanent success, chiefly owing to the lubrication required, to the excessive friction, and to the difficulty of making good joints between parts ofthe packings.

The difficulties mentioned in connection with hemp and metallic packings are always present to a greater orlessdegree; but where the paekings are used in connection with relatively large shafts-say from four to six inches-and revolving at from twelve hundred to fourteen hundred revolutions per minute they become a source of the greatest annoyance. The greater the peripheral speed, other things being equal, the greater is the objection to their use. With a low vacuum the difficulties are not so pronounced, of

course, but these increase as the vacuum becomes higher and reaches a point that is considered commercial forrsteam-turbines.

WhereI large and expensive shafts are em- 4 ployed, the dangers due to metallic packings are greatly increased, for ifthe vsupply of lubricant fails for any reason theshaft may be cut to such extent that it is necessary to remove it from the engine and turn it up in a lathe.

l have discovered that a highly-efficient packing, particularly adapted for vacuumjoints, can be made out of carbon similar in nature to that used for brushes on dynamoelectric machines. The carbon packing preferably takes the form of a sleeve, which may be made in a single piece or split, as the exigencies of the case demand. The sleeve should make a snug iit with the moving shaft-from .O02 to .O03 of an inch clearance will be found to be satisfactory. The sleeve can be rigidly attached to some stationary part of the machine, in which case the clearance may with advantage be made between limits which are slightly greater than those mentioned. l have found it advantageous, however, to cause the sleeve to float' on the shaft instead of holding it iiXedly in place, in which case'it canl make a very snug t with the shaft,4 and the effects of pounding due to vibrations and irregularities of the shaft will be reduced to a minimum. When the sleeve or packing is arranged to float with the shaft, means are provided for interposing a resistance to the passage of air or other gas around the packing-holder to the vacuum-chamber. In one embodiment of my invention springs are employed to hold the packing holder or support in frictional engagement with the wall of the vacuumchamber or other part to be protected. In another embodiment a small steam-pressure is employed which may or may not be used in connection with the springs; but in both instances 4the floating feature is retained. No matter how hot the carbon packing gets it will not roughen the shaft, and by reason of the closeness of t between the moving and stationary parts the desired vacuum-j oint can be maintained.

In the accompanying drawings one embodi- ICO ment of my invention is shown; but it is to be understood that the apparatus employed can be varied without departing from my invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a packing' and its holder. Fig. 2 is an end view of the packing-holder with the shaft removed. Fig. 3 is a detail View showing one of the springs for holding the support against the wall or casing of the vacuum-chamber, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a double form of packing.

In the drawings, l represents the main shaft of a turbine or other motor, which extends into or through the vacuum-chamber or other receptacle designed to be protected either from air or steam, as the case may be. The wall is apertured to receive the driving-shaft l, and sufficient clearance is provided to prevent the parts from binding. The outer face 3 of the wall is finished to receive the flanged end`of the packing holder or support. The packing-holder may be of any suitable construction. The one shown comprises atubular portion 4, which surrounds the carbon packing-sleeve 5. While it is true that the form of the holder can be varied, it is important that some holder, preferably of metal, be employed; otherwise the continual vibration to which the carbon-'is subjected would cause it to rapidly disintegrate. V'Vhere a suitable metallic holder is employed, the effect of the pounding, due to any longitudinal movement of the shaft and also due to any lateral vibration is taken up by the holder and the carbon suffers no injury. rIhe length of carbon-surface exposed to the shaft l can be varied to suit the conditions of service. The ends of the holder are provided with shoulders which engage with corresponding shoulders on the sleeve and prevent it from moving endwise. The holder can be made in any desired form, the one shown being made in two pieces and secured by bands or clamps 6. On the end of the support adjacent to the wall of the vacuum-chamber is a flange 7, having slots 8, through which the bolts or retaining-pins extend. The meeting surfaces of the flange and wall should be finished so as to permit the parts to make close contact. The surface should also present considerable area, so as to minimize any tendency to leak at this point. Between the heads of the bolts and the flange on the support are flat springs l0, which exert sufficient pressure to maintain the' holder in position against the wall, yet do not cause undue binding of the parts. The slots 8 are large enough to permit of any necessary movement of the packing-sleeve and its support due t-o irregularities of the shaft.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the holder is free to adjust itself to the positions of the shaft. In other words, it floats to a limited extent, but is held against rotation by the bolts 9.

Instead of providing the carbon sleeve with a holder the sleeve itself may be flanged so as to engage with the wall 2, in which case it should be provided with a finished face and slotted to receive the retaining bolts or pins; but I do not consider this to be the most improved form. Equivalent means could be employed to hold the sleeve in place. Owing to the cost of the carbon sleeve, it will be found desirable, however, to make it small and use a metal holder.

After use the carbon sleeve will be found to have a highly glazed or polished surface where it engages with the shaft or other moving parts. No lubricant is necessary with this arrangement. Hence no difficulty willbe experienced due to oil in the vacuum-chamber. With turbine-shafts there is considerable vibration due to their relatively high speeds. Hence with ordinary fixed metal packings considerable clearance has to be provided; but where carbon is used and it is so supported that it can iioat with the shaft it can be arranged to make a very close fit with the shaft and will not be affected by the shaft vibrati ons. Carbon further possesses the advantage of being capable of iioating on a shaft without lubrication, and this with out cutting or otherwise injuring it.

Surrounding the packing is a detachable casing l1, which is bolted to the wall 2 and preferably makes a steam-tight joint therewith. The outer end of the casingis provided with a receptacle arranged to receive a packing 19 of suitable material, which may be lubricated or not, as is found necessary. This packing is compressed by the gland 20. The packing is only intended to be serviceable for low pressures. I-Ience it does not have to be very tight7 and the wear is practically negligible.

In addition to serving as a support for the carbon packing the liange on the holder and also the end thereof act as a piston or surface against which a fluid under pressure can act.

Steam or other fluid under a very small pressure is admitted to the chamber l2 bythe pipe 13. Under ordinary conditions one to three pounds pressure is great enough to cause the packing-sleeve holder to hug the wall 2, at the same time permitting it to adjust itself to conform to the position of the shaft. The packing being intended for vacuum-chambers, there is of course a tendency to suck it against the wall 2, and this permits the use of a very low pressure in the chamber 12; unnecessary to use the pressure-chamber 12, reliance being placed on the springs lO.

In Fig. 4 is shown a double carbon packing, one being intended to prevent the entrance of air or steam to the vacuum-chamber, the other to prevent/the escape of lowpressure steanito the atmosphere. 1 represents the driving-shaft, 4 the holder, and 5 the main carbon packing-sleeve within the holder. The character of the sleeve and holder is the same as previously described. Instead of the soft packing 19 at the outer end ICO IIO

In certain instances it may be found a carbon sleeve 14 is provided, which is supported by a flanged holder 15. The latter is slotted at 16 to receive the bolts 17. Between the heads of the bolts and the flange are fiat springs 18, which hold the flange against a shoulder formed on the casing 11. The arrangementforms a floating support for the sleeve and the action is the same as previously described. Steam or other iiuid under pressure is admitted to the chamber 12, in which the packings are located by the pipe 13.

Vhere the shaft is long, it will be found desirable to split the carbon sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit of renewals, and preferably the line of division is arranged to break joint with that of the holder. This feature applies both to the inner andouter bearing.

In aecordanceivith the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation ofl my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof g but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination, a shaft, a Wall or stationary support, a carbon packing which closely surrounds the shaft and is supported thereby, a holder for the packing, and means for permanently maintaining the holder in frctional contact with the Wall.

2. In combination, a shaft, a stationarysupport, a floating' packing which closely surrounds the shaft and comprises a body of carbon, a metallic holder for and iioating with the carbon, and devices engaging with the metal holderwhich prevent the holder and packing fromrotating but permit them to adjust themselves circumferentially to compensate for irregularities in the shaft.

3. In combination, a shaft, a stationary support, a carbon sleeve which surrounds the shaft and is supported thereby, an inclosure for the sleeve, and a conduit for carrying iiuid under pressure to the inclosure for holding the sleeve in place.

' 4. In combination, a shaft, aWall, a carbon sleeve which closely surrounds the shaft and is supported thereby, springs for holding the sleeve against longitudinal movement, and pins which prevent thel sleeve from turning.

5. In combination, a shaft, awall, acarbon packing-sleeve which floats on the shaft, a metal holder for the sleeve, a means for preventing rotary movement of the holder, an inolosure for the sleeve and holder, and a conduit for admitting fluid under pressure to the inclosure for holding the support against the Wall.

6. In combination, a shaft, a Wall, a floating carbon packing-sleeve, and a two-part holder therefor, the line of division of the sleeve being arranged to break joint With that of the holder. y

7. In combination, a shaft, a Wall, a pair of oppositely-disposed, carbon packing-sleeves which closely surround the shaft and are supported thereby, an inclosure for the sleeves, and a conduit for admitting uid under pressure to the inclosure in such manner that the sleeves tend to move away from each other.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of August, 1902.

AUSTIN R. DODGE.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, J os. A. L. Ennnns. 

